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Marketing is applied psychology

Changing just one word or image can have a massive impact

Here are the top 16 concepts marketers need to know:
Before we dive in...

1. What you’re about to learn is powerful—use it for good

2. If you read this post all the way to the end, there’s a surprise for you 🎁
1/ TRIGGER EVENTS

Every purchase begins with a trigger event. It’s the moment a buyer realizes they may need a new solution.

Trigger events can be:

Biological (eg. Being hungry)
Situational (eg. Getting engaged)
Emotional (eg. Feeling jealous)
Social (eg. Fight with spouse)
1/ TRIGGER EVENTS CON'T

When you discover your customers’ trigger events you'll market smarter

You can get in front of people sooner, in less crowded channels, with better message

Apple gets it

If (like millions) you made a new years resolution to get in shape, this ad slaps
2/ MERE EXPOSURE EFFECT

The more we see something, the more we come to like and trust it

That’s why prolific marketers like @TheCoolestCool expertly repurpose their content so they keep showing up in the places their buyers hang out

The lesson?

👉 Show up consistently
3/ DISTINCTIVENESS

We’re more likely to notice stuff that stands out from the rest

That’s why @LouisSlices—the king of radical differentiation—changed his headshot from guy in a suit (boring 😴) to feisty marketing-bullshit -fighter

The lesson?

👉 Differentiate (or die)
@LouisSlices 4/ SOCIAL CURRENCY

We’re more likely to share stuff that makes us look good to others

That’s why @JamesClear retweeted this to his 838,000 followers

After all, your book has gotta good if people quote you on sandwich boards, right?

The lesson?

👉 Make sharing gratifying

5/ STATUS QUO BIAS

We’re resistant to change and prefer the known to unknown

That’s why smart marketers like @amandanat use stats, facts, and stories to jolt readers into realizing that sticking with the status quo is risky

The lesson?

👉 Show the risk of doing nothing
6/ PRIMING

We’re unconsciously influenced by even small details

That’s why I use imagery on my Clarity Call Cheatsheet sales page that primes visitors to connect customer discovery with better marketing and increased sales

The lesson?

👉 Prime people to buy
7/ THE BARNUM EFFECT

We’re drawn to statements that feel personal (even if they could actually apply to anyone)

That’s why world-class writers like @dickiebush ask Barnum-style Qs like these on his Ship30for30 sales page. Can you relate?

The lesson?

👉 Make it feel personal
8/ ANCHORING

The first piece of information we see often sets our expectations

That’s why Snickers grew sales by 38% simply by changing the anchor from ‘them’ to ‘18’ (cc: the @thebrainybiz podcast)

The lesson?

👉 Use anchors strategically
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9/ FOOT-IN-DOOR TECHNIQUE

We’re more likely to agree to a bigger request after already agreeing to a small one

This is why product-led growth experts like@ramlijohn suggest letting prospects try your product for free *before* committing

The lesson?

👉 Start with a small ask
10/ LOSS AVERSION

We’re more motivated to avoid losses than we are to receive gains

That’s why Amazon highlights the savings people could *lose* when they cancel their Prime membership to deter them from canceling (cc:
@p_agnew)

The lesson?

👉 Highlight what’s at stake
11/ SOCIAL PROOF

We're more trusting of stuff that other people already trust

That’s why smart marketers like @coreyhainesco pepper their newsletter signup pages with glowing testimonials and headshots of well-known marketers

The lesson?

👉 Let others sell for you
12/ SCARCITY

We place a higher value on things when they're in limited supply

That’s why when Apple releases a new product they limit the number available so that they create a buying frenzy

The lesson?

👉 Reducing availability can drive demand
13/ AUTHORITY BIAS

We’re more trusting of authority figures (eg. doctors, celebrities, media)

That’s why baddies like @kaleighf and @The_MMW
showcase the big publications they write for or have been featured in their Twitter profiles

The lesson?

👉 Showcase your authority
14/ RELATIVITY

We struggle to understand the value of a purchase without something to compare it to

That’s why Costco puts the TVs & laptops near the entrance. Seeing how cheap big-ticket items makes other products appear cheaper too

The lesson?

👉 Use contrast to show value
15/ BANDWAGON EFFECT

We’re more likely to do something if everyone else is doing it

That’s why in 1957 McDonald’s started showing how many customers they’d served on their signs. Today, McDonald's serves 62M customers PER DAY 😲

The lesson?

👉 Showcase popularity
16/ PEAK-END RULE

We judge experiences by tge peak moment and how it ends

That’s why Disney carefully crafts the experience to deliver high peaks and positive ends for guests (so they forget the crowds or hours spent waiting in lines)

The lesson?

👉 Create positive peaks/ends
Bonus tip 🎁

17/ RECIPROCITY

When we're given something, we feel an urge to return the favor

That’s why I’m asking you...

If you feel like you got value from this thread (that took me ~5 hours to make), would you RT it so more people can see it?

I'd be so 🙏

In summary:

The best marketers use behavioral psychology to their advantage

Wanna up your marketing game? For the next 72 hours if you sign up for my Why We Buy newsletter you’ll also get a FREE copy of my Buyer Psychology Cheatsheet

The sign-up link is in my bio
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